WWCSD (What Would Colonel Sanders Do?)

Last week a member of my church was in Frankfort, speaking to the state senate in favor of a right-to-life bill they’re considering. Well, I just found out what else they’re considering: whether or not to make Kentucky Fried Chicken the official state picnic food.

Yes, I know, it’s not something we really need. Burger King is a Miami-based company, but in all the years I was in Florida, I never heard of the folks in Tallahassee doing anything to celebrate the Whopper. Normally this is a sign to me of a state government with too much free time on its hands. However, this time I think I’ll support the KFC bill, because it is opposed by one of the most annoying groups in modern society–PETA! Quote:

State Rep. Charles Siler is sponsoring legislation to assign the designation to KFC’s “finger lickin’ good” chicken, first served by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1940.

The late colonel’s fried chicken deserves the title because of the worldwide attention and economic benefit it has brought to the state, Siler said. KFC, a subsidiary of Louisville-based Yum Brands Inc. (YUM), has 11,000 restaurants in more than 80 countries.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals bristles at the idea. The animal rights group claims that the chickens KFC serves are abused, even tortured.

“If the state legislature moves forward with this one, then they should change Kentucky’s state bird from the cardinal to the debeaked, crippled, scalded, diseased, dead chicken,” said Bruce Friedrich, PETA vice president.

PETA has been involved in a long-standing battle with KFC, and even began a push two years ago to have a bust of the bespectacled Colonel Sanders removed from the Kentucky Capitol. Sanders, with his white goatee and black string tie, became recognizable worldwide by marketing his fried chicken.

Unquote: When I first arrived in Lexington, I was surprised to find that Subway, not KFC, is the most popular restaurant in town. No doubt that is because subs are college fare, and this is an overgrown college town. In Florida we liked KFC, but preferred Popeye’s. There was one Popeye’s in town, near the mall, which I visited twice before it closed last fall. 😦